River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-11-10
LINee,s BOMBS.

Limoges BOMBS.
The Missiles Found In the Cell of tho
Condemned Anarchist Loatied with Dyn-
amite-Hr Denies An knowledge of
Them-Letters from spies. Parsons and
the Others Asserting Their Non-CoR-
nection with the AFFAIR.
CHICAGO, Nov S-The finding OF four
dynamite bombs in Louis Lingg's cell on
Sunday morning, combined with the news
OF George Engefs attempted suicide late
Saturday night, threw everybody into q
state or anxiety yesterday The jail officials
We're as nervous as outsiders.
Sheriff Matson reported the result of the
analysis of the bombs In each of them
was found a sufficient quantity of the dead
~ explosives TO create havoc and desolation
wherever exploded Lingg himself would
make no accusations Of their being placed
in his cell by outside paroles. although his
colnr des did not hesitate TO do so
Lingg denied that he knew any thing
sb0ul the existence of the bombs in box
when examined by Jailor Folz on the sub
ject Mr. Folz, however. believes that
Engel knew about them being in Lingg's
cell
Yesterday afternoon Mr. W " salter, who
has been working in company with H, d.
Lloyd 10 secure the signatures # promi-
nent citizens TO a request for commute
ton of the sentence against the
Anarchists, asked Sp'es TO say plainly what
he knew abont the bombs found in
Lnggs cell Sunday Spies wrote the fol-
lowing, and to il are appe aded the sigma
lures IF Ifeiden and schwab:
CHICAGO, H., Nov. T. IsS7-1fr. SaItsr: It's
useless for IRE and my friends 10 say that we
had no knowledge of any thing OF the kind
No sane man would have bombs ia his cell
or countenance any such q Ia ng IN a cell
think OF ltt-sT bject 70 search at any moment
and at all times. The first intima-
ton received OF the matter came from Sheriff
Matson last evening I could not believe il al
first, and can hardly believe it now
haven't spoken TO Lingg for-I think
I nine months. I don't know much OF rim,
but / think that he is a monomaniac.
Had only seen him once or twice be-
fore we were put together and charged with
conspiracy don't believe that a single one
OF the other prisoners had even as much as a
suspicion, for. otherwise, they would
undoubtedly have reasoned the man
out Of his folly. What use was he going 10
make Of the shellss Throw them into the jailf
What intention, what object could there have
been in such an undertaking. l repeat, no sane
man would be capable Of such thing.
Lineg as far as / can Judge him, seeks to
be martyied, and, to be candid, would like the
rest OF US 10 go with him. Did he put those
Instruments into his cell so that they might
be foundf This is the question /
have been asking myself II he had
them there for any purpose this IS the only one
that looks plaus ble to me. He wants TO die,
thinking thereby TO help the cause OF labor.
But he wanted US 10 die also. Perhaps
he thought that the best and surest way to
bring this about was 10 place few bombs in
his CELL . have never met as peculiar
a man as he is before in my life, and Tor almost
IA year have considered him "a monomaniac,
and have had nothing 10 o with
you ask me TO condemn his action. It's
useless to condemn the action OF irrespon-
sible man! II any one holds US, or any one Of
US, respons hle for Lingg's deeds thsn 1 can't
see WHY We shouldn't be held responsible for
any misch CT, whatsoever committed r. the
world. And It has actually come TO thai. We
are being made the scapegoats for every thing.
Very sincerely yours, a. SPIES
Parsons wrote:
1T s the merest nonsense, a canard. a fake,
a put-up job 10 create sensation and manu-
facture popular prejudice. How IN the world
could bombs get into Lingg's cell unknown o
those whose sole business il is TO see that
no such things can get there's Incredi-
bic! They say these bombs found in
Lngg's cell are seven inches long and one
inch in diameter, and there were four Of them.
There is no aperture in wire gratings through
which missiles could get in anyhow. Or have
the oDlig ng guards at the inspection room
"a little partition where packages for prison
ers are examined) been passing up bombs to
Lings's cellY Remember our cells were
searched about three or four weeks ago
and the scrutiny has been redoubled since.
Nothing was found then. Well, il was
impossible for bombs to go to Lingg without
the knowledge of the officials. II was not i'm
poss bic that some one of the many persons
who have had ready access TO his cell put them
there during the exercise h. ur, or put them
there after he was taken out OF his cell
Thn- lrn In hfG frf4f Nu1as
would not hesitate moment TO put up
such job on the Anarchists. Lingg could
have no use for bombs in the Jail. 1t would
be simply impossible TO use them, and it would
be impossible 10 get them without de-
lection. Those bombs, if they we're
really found there, were put there by
some one whose business it was to find
them there. They could not get into the cell
in any other way. This last find OF bombs is
In keeping with the many other fakes lately
thrown upon the community. The story too
thin. II won't wash Now, l don't mputl a
conspiracy to The jail authorities. l believe
both Folz and Matson are honorable men.
Such has, at any rate, been their treatment of
myself
The text of the petition which has been
signed by Spies. schwab and Fielden is as
follows:
CHICAGO, Nov. 8 1887. GOVERNOR RICHARD
j. OGLEsBY, SPRINGFIELD, Ill, SIR:-in order
that the truth may be known by you and the
public you represent we desire to state that we
never advocated the use Of force except IN case
Of self-defense. To accuse US OF having at
tented to overthrow law and government on
May & 1886 at any other time, is as false as il
is absurd.
"WhateYer we said or did was said and done
publicly. We have never conspired or plotted
TO commit an unlawful act While We attacked
the present social arrangements in writing and
speech and exposed their in Guites, We have
never consciously broken any laws
80 far from having planned the killing of
any body at the Haymarlet or anywhere else |
test against the commission OF murder. We
believe it TO be our duty as friends OF labor and
liberty TO oppose any other use of force than in
the necessary defense of sacret rights against |
unlawful attacks.
All our efforts have been n the direction Of
the elevation of mankind and to remove a.
much possible the causes Of crime IN society.
Our labor unselhsh. No motives OF per |
sonal gain ambition prompted Thou |
sands and thousands will bear testimony to |
this. We may have erred at times in our iudg- |
ment-yes, we have Loved not wisely, but too |
We'll
"n, in the excitement OF propagatng our |
views, we were led into expressions which |
caused working-men 20 tn nix that aggressive |
force was proper instrument of reform We re- |
greet IL. We deplO the loss of life at the Hay |
market. as at Nj Cormiclz's. at East St. Lou |
and the Chicago Stock Yards. Very respect ,
fully, A. SPIES,
"MICHAEL SCHwAB,
SAMUEL FIEIDEN."
CHEERING O'BRIEN'S SPIRIT.